The following text is adapted from William Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1 (1598)
King Henry is addressing several noblemen who are rumored to have been disloyal to him.
KING HENRY: My blood hath been too cold and temperate,Unapt to stir at these indignities,And you have found me, for accordinglyYou tread upon my patience; but be sureI will from henceforth rather be myself,Mighty and to be fear'd, than my [disposition],Which hath been smooth as oil, soft as young down,And therefore lost that title of respectWhich the proud soul ne'er pays but to the proud.
Which statement best describes how King Henry presents himself in the text?
A. He defends his calm disposition, which he sees as fundamental to his personality, and vows to maintain his tranquil demeanor even if it causes him to lose the respect of overly proud noblemen.
B. He concedes that he has treated the noblemen with indifference, which in part explains why they have defied him, but he asserts that their disrespectful behavior is primarily driven by their excessive pride.
C. He acknowledges to the noblemen that his tolerance of their conduct has undermined their respect for him, and he resolves to display his genuine nature, which is more forceful and compels deference.
D. He declares that he has judged the noblemen's conduct in an impartial manner, and that despite their attempts to regain his trust through professions of submissiveness, they have irrevocably lost his respect.
文本翻译
亨利国王正在对几位被怀疑不忠的贵族讲话。
国王：我过去太过冷静、温和，不愿因这些羞辱而动怒；而你们也察觉到了这一点，因此不断挑战我的忍耐。但你们记住，从今以后，我宁愿展现真正的自己——强大而令人畏惧，而不是像过去那样，性情如油一般圆滑、如羽毛一般柔软；也正因如此，我失去了那种“尊重”的地位，因为高傲的人，只会尊重强势骄傲的人。
文本分析
这段文字的核心逻辑非常清晰：
King Henry 在反思自己过去的统治方式。
他认为，自己以前过于：
冷静（cold） 温和（temperate） 柔软（soft） 容忍（patience）
因此贵族们才越来越放肆，甚至开始不忠。
也就是说：
“我太好说话了，所以你们才不怕我。”
随后，他明确表示：
自己真正的本性其实并不是温和，而是：
mighty（强势的） to be fear’d（令人畏惧的）
因此，从现在开始，他将不再继续宽容，而会展现更强硬、更有威慑力的一面。
古英语与重点表达
1. hath
= has
莎士比亚时期常见表达。
2. unapt to stir
unapt = not inclined to stir = 激动、发怒
合起来：
不愿被激怒
3. you tread upon my patience
字面：
你们踩在我的耐心之上
实际意思：
你们不断挑战/消耗我的忍耐
这是很典型的 Shakespeare 式表达。
4. smooth as oil, soft as young down
这里是连续比喻：
smooth as oil= 像油一样圆滑温和 soft as young down= 像幼鸟绒毛一样柔软
都是在强调：
他过去太“软”了。
5. Which the proud soul ne'er pays but to the proud
这是全段最难的一句。
拆解：
ne'er = never pay = give / show but to = except to
其中：
pay respect
不是“付钱”，而是：
给予尊重
整句意思：
高傲的人，只会把尊重给予强势骄傲的人。
也就是说：
软弱的人得不到真正的尊重。
这是 King Henry 整段话的核心结论。
选项分析
A. He defends his calm disposition...
错误。
选项说：
他维护自己冷静温和的性格，并决定继续保持这种状态。
但原文恰恰相反。
King Henry 认为：
自己过去太温和，正是问题所在。
他接下来要变得更强硬。
B. He concedes that he has treated the noblemen with indifference...
错误。
这里的关键词是：
indifference（冷漠）
但原文不是“冷漠”，而是：
容忍 温和 patience
两者差别很大。
此外，选项把重点放在：
贵族过于骄傲
但文章真正重点是：
自己过去太软弱，导致失去尊重。
C. He acknowledges to the noblemen that his tolerance of their conduct has undermined their respect for him...
正确。
前半句：
他承认自己对他们的容忍削弱了他们对自己的尊重
对应原文：
“you tread upon my patience”
“lost that title of respect”
后半句：
他决定展现更强硬、更令人敬畏的真实本性
对应：
“Mighty and to be fear'd”
与原文完全一致。
D. He declares that he has judged the noblemen's conduct in an impartial manner...
错误。
选项中提到：
贵族试图重新获得信任 profess submissiveness（表现顺从） irrevocably lost his respect（永远失去尊重）
这些内容原文完全没有出现。
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